Imagine wandering through a forest imbued with a light sweet smell; where trees tower over you, older than your great-grandparents; and oh yeah, durian fruit is dropping from above you.
It’s Not All Just About the Fruit
Yes, it’s durian country (650 hectares of it to be precise, as recognized by Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture in 2016,), but this community is not all spiky fruit hanging from trees. This community symbolizes clean rivers that weren’t so clean, farmland that finally has a market, and a community that said, “hey, we can really make something a go here.” By 2015, they formed a community-based tourism group (Pokdarwis Duren Sari) and by 2017, the tourism board recognized its official status.
Looking Back
Before the accolades and recognition (best tourism village in Indonesia 2020, hello!), this was a very different place. The rivers were unsightly and local farmers were not thriving. Thanks to corny-but-true teamwork efforts, community based tourism became the excitement for Duren Sari Sawahan Village.
What Tourists Love
Forget luxury resorts—here you sleep with the locals in comfortable homestays for a fraction of the price, eat traditional food like tiwul jambul or nasi luwak and drink wedang jeser (a warm ginger, lemongrass and palm sugar drink-like nothing you have ever tasted that warms your very soul).
The Bonus Round
Remember, it is not only durian. Manggis (mangosteen) is in season at this time close to the durian harvest so you would basically have tropical fruit overload! Add in trekking through 100-year old durian trees inhaling fresh forest air while chatting with farmers, some who are former migrants working in surrounding countries, now multilingual tour guides—this is not your average vacation.
Why It Matters
This is not just tourism, this is a sustainability model. Clean villages, additional income, strong friendships among the community; some of it is all wrapped around the durian, which half of the world loves and the other half would find their way out of. And this is the best part.
